Joseph Whitehouse: May 26, 1805
On a clear, pleasant day, the party set off early and towed the canoes upriver beneath steep, barren bluffs and high sandstone cliffs, passing several creeks and small islands. Hunters killed two mountain sheep, which Captain Clark called ibex—one with horns and head weighing 27 pounds—along with a large hare. By evening they struggled through a rapid with a notable drop, towing and wading to keep the canoes from swamping, and camped safely on the south side. Captain Lewis and a hunter killed two buffalo. They traveled 22 miles.
a clear pleasant morning. we Set off eairly and proceeded
on. with the towing line under high bluffs which make near
the River on each Side & are verry Steep & barron. Some
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1805] WHITEHOUSE’S JOURNAL
Spots of pine, but the most of the knobs and river hills wash
by rains. passed ‘high Clifts of Sand Stone on each Side.
passed Several Creeks which appeared to be large, Some on
each Side. passed Several Small Islands in the river. Some
of the hunters killed 2 mountain Sheep or Ibex as Cap! Clark
calls them which were running along in flocks where the bluffs
were to appearence nearly perpenticular we Suppose they
keep on high Steep clifts & bluffs & mountains in order to
keep out of the reach of other larger animals they are verry
Suple & run verry fast. one of these Ibex which was killed to
day, had verry large horns. the head & horns weighed 27
pounds, one of the hunters killed a hare which weighed 81%
pounds. we proceeded on with the towing. lines all day
towards evening we Came to a rapid place in the river, where
the hills made close on each Side & high clifts of rocks. this
rapid had considerable of a fall, which gave us Some trouble to
git over our crafts but by towing & waiding in the water &
holding the canoes from filling in the waves, we all got Safe
over by dark, and Camped on the S. Side below.a Small prarie
Is! at a Small bottom of timber where their was Several old
Indian Camps. Cap! Lewis & one of the hunters killed 2
buffaloe. we Came 22 miles this day.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
A clear, pleasant morning. We set off early and proceeded on, using the towing line under high bluffs that come near the river on each side and are very steep and barren. There are some spots of pine, but most of the knobs and river hills are washed by rains. We passed high cliffs of sandstone on each side. We passed several creeks that appeared to be large, some on each side. We passed several small islands in the river.
Some of the hunters killed 2 mountain sheep, or Ibex as Capt Clark (Capt. Clark) calls them, which were running along in flocks where the bluffs appeared nearly perpendicular. We suppose they keep on high steep cliffs, bluffs, and mountains in order to stay out of the reach of other larger animals. They are very supple and run very fast. One of these Ibex that was killed today had very large horns. The head and horns weighed 27 pounds. One of the hunters killed a hare that weighed 8½ pounds.
We proceeded on with the towing lines all day. Toward evening we came to a rapid place in the river, where the hills closed in on each side with high cliffs of rocks. This rapid had a considerable fall, which gave us some trouble to get our crafts over, but by towing, wading in the water, and holding the canoes from filling in the waves, we all got safely over by dark, and camped on the south side below a small prairie island, at a small bottom of timber where there were several old Indian camps. Capt Lewis (Capt. Lewis) and one of the hunters killed 2 buffalo. We came 22 miles this day.
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